Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-27

IELTS Writing Task 2 question

The best way to provide enough homes in large cities is to build tall apartment blocks.

To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

Student answer (Band 5.5)

In large cities we should build tall apartment blocks accommodation for people. As we know, big

cities provide better opportunities for income, citizens who belong to a small city are moving towards a

major city. in this way population of main city is increasing day by day.

One of the major advantages of developing tall buildings is that they consume valuable

space where the cost of space is too high especially in big markets. It would also be effective for the

visitor as well as the citizen who live in city for the purpose of employment. For example, Lahore which is a big city and most Persons come to this city for their employment and also some.

Individuals move towards this city permanently. The area of Lahore is approximately 1,772 square kilometers while the urban area covers more than 1,014 Square Kilometers. In this way agricultural land is decreasing day by day so we should construct tall apartments. It would be helpful for farmers because they play a vital role in the economy of the country.

On the other hand, constructing tall buildings is not always a good idea for conserving urban area. The residence who live in tall buildings do not take proper exercise, and they are unable to enjoy the dazzling rays of the sun which are beneficial for human health.

Overall, I agree that tall building blocks can play an important role in solving housing shortages because they accommodate of community while conserving the less urban land. Nevertheless, they should not be regarded as the single best solution.

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response5.5
Coherence and Cohesion5.5
Lexical Resource5.5
Grammatical Range and Accuracy5.5
Overall5.5

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

The response addresses the prompt by discussing whether building tall apartment blocks is the best solution for housing shortages in large cities. You present a clear position that while tall buildings help solve housing shortages and save agricultural land, they should not be viewed as the single best solution. The ideas are generally relevant, but some points, such as residents not taking proper exercise or enjoying the sun, are somewhat weak and lack sufficient development. For instance, mentioning Lahore provides a concrete local example, but the integration could be smoother to fully extend your argument. Overall, the task is addressed adequately, fitting the criteria for a band 6.0.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The essay presents a coherent overall arrangement with a recognisable introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Paragraphing is used to separate the advantages and disadvantages of tall buildings. However, the logical progression is occasionally hindered by abrupt transitions and referencing issues, such as starting paragraphs with 'One of the major advantages...' and 'On the other hand...' without fully integrated linking devices. Cohesive devices are sometimes mechanical, and referencing like 'the residence who live' creates slight confusion. While the structure is generally clear, the execution of cohesion places it solidly at a band 6.0.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, allowing you to communicate basic ideas about urbanisation and housing. You attempt some less common vocabulary, such as 'conserving urban area', 'economic of the country', and 'dazzling rays', but these instances show some inaccuracy in word choice and collocation (e.g., 'accommodate of community' instead of 'accommodate the community'). There are also noticeable vocabulary and spelling errors, such as 'residence' instead of 'residents'. Despite these slips, the language remains comprehensible, matching the requirements of a band 5.5.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of simple and complex sentence forms throughout the essay, using structures like conditional-style statements and relative clauses ('citizens who belong to a small city'). However, there are frequent grammatical errors, particularly with subject-verb agreement and prepositional use, such as 'accommodation for people' lacking a verb, 'population of main city' missing an article, and 'most Persons come'. Punctuation and phrasing errors are noticeable, such as 'some. Individuals move'. These errors occasionally cause slight difficulty for the reader, but communication is not severely impeded, aligning with a band 5.5.

See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.

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